All Over The Show...

Every summer, I like to designate an official cocktail of the season. Normally it is not a difficult choice, but I have been having trouble settling in this year. Narrowing the list is easy enough: Nothing unnatural (mixes), too trendy (caiparinas), too complicated (clover clubs), too girly (cosmos), or too undignified (must I say it, "sex-on-the-beach"). But after rejecting the obvious, there are still many classics to choose from. My original choice was the G&T of course, which I'm sure I will have plenty of. In fact, it is still my out-of-the-home cocktail of the summer, because any bar can make one (though not necessarily a good one). Be that as it may, I had to reconsider because the tonic was leaving a sticky feeling on my lips. Funny, that never bothered me before. But I digress.

Next I picked the Tom Collins. I even recommended it to a friend, leading him to order it in a bar. Of course, they did not mix the classic version for him, they mixed a fru-fru one. With an orange slice. And a cherry. This elicited the editorial comment that he had the "prettiest drink in the bar." Clearly this won't do. I suspect one would encounter a similar problem in any bar. Maybe I will bump into John Edwards drinking one in some Washington establishment this summer.

This is all a long-winded way of saying that my new drink of Summer 2007 is the Dark and Stormy. A national cocktail of Burmuda (along with the Burmuda Rum Swizzle), it is made with ice, a squeeze of lime, three ounces of Gosling's Black Seal Rum, and topped off with ginger beer. Delicious and oh-so-refreshing. I was first introduced to the Dark and Stormy by friends who spent a summer in Burmuda and brought the tradition back to share with friends. Thank you for a great cocktail tip!

Coming in with an honorable mention and sure to be making appearances at Italian themed get-togethers is the Negroni. These are made with equal parts sweet vermouth, Campari (so that's what one does with it), and gin. I like a twist of lemon. The Negroni's history is not well documented, but many believe it orginated in Florence in the 1920s. Certainly it is Italian in origin and like the Dark and Stormy, very refreshing. The Negroni would probably hold up well in any season. As with the Tom Collins, though, I wouldn't order this in any bar (except one run by Mario Batali). This is strictly a home-brew. Regale your friends with one tonight. Hell, maybe three.